What's a good password?

Concerns & risks

You were trying to sign up for a new account, and the site says your password is too weak again.

Weak or reused passwords get cracked.

Causes & evidence

Long, unique passwords plus MFA are strong defenses. See multi-factor authentication.

What to do

1. Use a long passphrase of several random words.
2. Use a different password for each account.
3. Use a password manager.
4. Turn on MFA.

Common mistakes: Common mistakes: making small changes to the same password, like adding a 1 at the end. Attackers try these patterns. A passphrase made of several random words is easier to remember and stronger. Password managers create and remember unique passwords for you. Don't store passwords in an unprotected note. Protect your password manager with a strong master password and MFA. Length matters more than odd symbols: a long phrase is much harder to guess than a short jumble. Never reuse your email password anywhere else, because email is the key to resetting everything.

Speed Man tip: Never reuse your email password.

Wrap-up: Long. Unique. Add MFA.